The school department has reported a cost of nearly $200,000 to abate mold growth in carpets at Biddeford Primary School, the article stated.

According to the article, mold growing on 12,000 square feet of carpeting at the school was discovered on July 17, 2006, after ARAMARK cleaners had shampooed the carpets the previous Friday.

The school department immediately brought in testing and consulting firm ESHA to create a remediation work plan, and BioSafe Environmental was awarded the bid for cleaning and abatement; after the work was completed, new tests showed there was still mold growing in some areas of the school, the article noted.

First-, second- and third-graders were not allowed back into the school until November of that year, the article added.